Eye and Face Protection
1910.133
Employees must use appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation. Eye protection with side protectors is required where there is a hazard from flying objects. Workers who wear contact lenses must wear eye protection over the lenses. Eye and face PPE must be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer. Filtered lenses must be the appropriate shade number for the work being performed.
Protective eye and face devices purchased after July 5, 1994 must comply with ANSI Z87.1-1989 or be demonstrated to be equally effective. Devices purchased before that date must comply with ANSI Z87.1-1968 or be equally effective. See the regulations for a chart which provides general guidance for the proper selection of eye and face protection against hazards associated with the listed hazard "source" operations.
Eye and face protective equipment is required by OSHA where there is a reasonable probability of preventable injury when such equipment is used. Employers must provide a type of protector suitable for work to be performed and employees must use the protectors. These stipulations apply also to supervisors, management personnel, and should apply to visitors while they are in hazardous areas.
The BLS study found that about 60 percent of workers who suffered eye injuries where not wearing eye protective equipment. When asked why they were not wearing face protection at the time of the accident, workers indicated that face protection was not normally used or practiced in their type of work, or it was not required for the type of work performed at the time of the accident.
Suitable eye protectors must be provided where machines or operations present the hazard of flying objects, glare, liquids, injurious radiation, or a combination of these hazards. Protectors must meet the following minimum requirements:
The National Society to Prevent Blindness recommends that emergency eyewashes be placed in all hazardous locations. First-aid instructions should be posted close to such potential danger spots since any delay to immediate aid or an early mistake in dealing with an eye injury can result in lasting damage.
Selection
Each eye, face, or face-and-eye protector is
designed for a particular hazard. In selecting
the protector, consideration should be given to
the kind and degree of hazard, and the protector
should be selected on that basis. Where a choice
of protectors is given, ad the degree of
protection required is not an important issue,
worker comfort may be a deciding factor. The BLS
survey showed that few workers ever complained
about poor vision or discomfort with personal eye
equipment.
The survey noted that the typical injury was caused by flying or falling blunt metal objects. Lacerations, fractures, broken teeth, and contusions were common types of injuries reported. Persons using corrective spectacles and those who are required by OSHA to wear eye protection must wear face shields, goggles, or spectacles of one of the following types:
When limitations or precautions are indicated by the manufacturer, they should be transmitted to the user and strictly observed.
Over the years many types and styles of eye and face-and-eye protective equipment have been developed to meet the demands for protection against a variety of hazards.
Goggles come in a number of different styles: eyecups, flexible or cushioned goggles, plastic eyeshield goggles, and foundrymen's goggles. Goggles are manufactured in several styles for specific uses such as protecting against dust and splash, and in chipper's, welder's, and cutter's models.
Safety spectacles require special frames. Combinations of normal streetwear frames with safety lenses are not incompliance.
Many hard hats and nonrigid helmets are designed with face and eye protective equipment.
Design, construction, testing, and use of eye and face protection must be in accordance with ANSI Z87.1-1986 if the equipment was purchased before July 5, 1994 and in accordance with ANSI Z87.1-1989 if the devices were purchased after July 5, 1994.
Fitting
Fitting of goggles and safety spectacles should
be done by someone skilled in the procedure.
Prescription safety spectacles should be fitted
only by qualified optical personnel.
Inspection and
Maintenance
It is essential that the lenses of eye protectors
be kept clean. Continuous vision through dirty
lenses can cause eye strain - often an excuse for
not wearing the eye protectors. Daily inspection
and cleaning of the eye protector with soap and
hot water, or with a cleaning solution and
tissue, is recommended.
Pitted lenses, like dirty lenses, can be a source of reduced vision. They should be replaced. Deep scratches or excessively pitted lenses are apt to break more readily.
Slack, worn-out, sweat-soaked, or twisted headbands do not hold the eye protector in proper position. Visual inspection can determine when the headband elasticity is reduced to a point beyond proper function.
Goggles should be kept in a case when not in used. Spectacles, in particular, should be given the same care as one's own glasses, since the frame, nose pads, and temples can be damaged by rough usage.
Personal protective equipment which has been previously used should be disinfected before being issued to another employee. Even when each employee is assigned protective equipment for extended periods, it is recommended that such equipment be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
Several methods for disinfecting eye-protector equipment are acceptable. The most effective method is to disassemble the goggles or spectacles and thoroughly clean all parts with soap and warm water. Carefully rinse all traces of soap, and replace defective parts with new ones.
Swab thoroughly or completely immerse all parts for 10 minutes in a solution of germicidal deodorant fungicide. Remove parts from solution and suspend in a clean place for air drying at room temperature or with heated air. Do not rinse after removing parts from the solution because this will remove the germicidal residue which retains its effectiveness after drying.
The dry parts or items should be placed in a clean, dust-proof container, such as a box, bag, or plastic envelope, to protect them until reissue.
